Possible move to Chandler or Gilbert from San Diego (Phoenix: best neighborhoods, rent)

[DCGood]

Hi everyone! Looking for some feedback from Chandler/Gilbert residents regarding the area, schools, best neighborhoods to buy in, etc. My family is considering making the move from San Diego....we have two young kids in elementary and preschool. My husband is an engineer and would be working in either Tempe or downtown Phoenix. We are open to public school but also considering private. We are moving due to insanely high cost of living/housing out here and are looking for a house around 300-350k in a nice neighborhood with other kids. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

[goolsbyjazz]

Well, I will start off by saying both cities are nice. There may be a little more diversity in Chandler and the schhools may be slighty better as well. I believe Chandler would be an easier drive into Tempe or Phoenix as well. Your budget should allow you to get a decent house in either city, but I think your dollar will stretch further in Gilbert. I live in Chandler and it takes me 15 or 20 minutes to drive into Tempe everyday on the 10.
I believe Gilbert has more of a small town community feel and a more vibrant downtown area. One thing you will probably hear about Gilbert is the Mormon influence. While I am sure it's there in some communities I never notice it when I visit friends who live there and they never mention it. Chandler, on the other hand, is a typical, nice suburban city with all the amenities one would need. I recommend you come look around and rent before buying, if possible. You will definitely notice a difference in the cost of living coming from San Diego.

[Rico Valencia]

Chandler and Gilbert are good cities but they are overrated in my opinion. I call the Chandler/Gilbert region the "Kansas" of Arizona because it is as flat as a pancake. The topography will bore you to tears especially coming from SD County where you have many magnificent mountains and rolling hills. Gilbert and even parts of Chandler are notorious for their expansive soil which could lead to foundation issues if you neglect the grading near the foundation of your house. The area is also prone to nasty dust storms during the summertime due to its flat topography and proximity to open desert to the south.

I would highly recommend Scottsdale or parts of North Phoenix like Desert Ridge or Norterra which have exceptional schools, great demographics and better topography and natural beauty compared to Chandler/Gilbert.

[sh9730]

Rico -

And a lot more money if you go to the parts that are any different than Chandler/Gilbert.

[asufan]

Ocotillo and Fulton Ranch are the best communities in Chandler IMO, so I would try searching in those communities or within 1-2 miles of that area (prices in ocotillo and Fulton Ranch probably exceed your budget).

I would not consider North Phoenix. The only thing N Phoenix has over Chandler is little brown dirthills that aren't even pretty IMO. Chandler beats N Phoenix in every other category including proximity to shopping and dining, high quality employment, school rankings, youth sports and its just prettier IMO with more grass, trees and water than North Phoenix. Coming here from So Cal myself I favor grass trees and water over little brown dirthills and desert Landscaping but opinions vary.

[JGMotorsport64]

Check out the San Marcos area of Chandler near DT Chandler. Although if you are looking for the typical suburb then most areas of Chandler will suffice (Southern is generally nicer).

Northern Phoenix is actually very pretty if you are into the desert, but since you have kids I'd recommend Chandler over Northern Phoenix for amenities, schools and freeway access.

W/O getting into politics, if you are not a Republican you might have a hard time in Gilbert. Chandler is much less so and is much more diverse. But that's a call for you to make. Gilbert is a very nice and green city.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by Rico Valencia

Chandler and Gilbert are good cities but they are overrated in my opinion. I call the Chandler/Gilbert region the "Kansas" of Arizona because it is as flat as a pancake. The topography will bore you to tears especially coming from SD County where you have many magnificent mountains and rolling hills. Gilbert and even parts of Chandler are notorious for their expansive soil which could lead to foundation issues if you neglect the grading near the foundation of your house. The area is also prone to nasty dust storms during the summertime due to its flat topography and proximity to open desert to the south.

I would highly recommend Scottsdale or parts of North Phoenix like Desert Ridge or Norterra which have exceptional schools, great demographics and better topography and natural beauty compared to Chandler/Gilbert.

Good points. Lots of other areas of the valley/around it have nice foot hills/mountains, including Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Anthem, Goodyear(Estrella Mountain Ranch area), parts of Ahwatukee in Phoenix, Arrowhead in Glendale, etc

Another issue is the " brown cloud" in which in my experience/just by sight hangs around much more in the east valley.

Brown Cloud - Phoenix Air Pollution Problems

"Throughout the day, air shifts in the Valley cause variances in the Brown Cloud. From mid-day on, the cloud is pushed to the east. With every sunset, the cycle starts all over again."

West valley cities like Peoria, Goodyear, and Surprise have much less of this brown cloud issue just based on wind flow.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by stevek64

Good points. Lots of other areas of the valley/around it have nice foot hills/mountains, including Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Anthem, Goodyear(Estrella Mountain Ranch area), parts of Ahwatukee in Phoenix, Arrowhead in Glendale, etc

Another issue is the " brown cloud" in which in my experience/just by sight hangs around much more in the east valley.

Brown Cloud - Phoenix Air Pollution Problems

"Throughout the day, air shifts in the Valley cause variances in the Brown Cloud. From mid-day on, the cloud is pushed to the east. With every sunset, the cycle starts all over again."

West valley cities like Peoria, Goodyear, and Surprise have much less of this brown cloud issue just based on wind flow.

I had the opposite experience. The most polluted areas of the city are South of the I10 and West of 24th St. The Brown Cloud looks much worse in the SW heading toward DT than almost anywhere else, especially in the morning. This has to do w/ manufacturing, trucking and especially agriculture which is much more present in the WV.

EV has a pollution problem along US 60 specifically in the afternoon where South Tempe smells like car excaust but I actually saw much more of the Brown Cloud in the WV along I10 and south along the 101 looking directly at the Estrellas.

But we're both being anecdotal of course.

And besides for whatever reason OP is looking to Chandler/Gilbert. There are many advantages of this area for specific types of people and maybe that's what they want.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

I had the opposite experience. The most polluted areas of the city are South of the I10 and West of 24th St. The Brown Cloud looks much worse in the SW heading toward DT than almost anywhere else, especially in the morning. This has to do w/ manufacturing, trucking and especially agriculture which is much more present in the WV.

EV has a pollution problem along US 60 specifically in the afternoon where South Tempe smells like car excaust but I actually saw much more of the Brown Cloud in the WV along I10 and south along the 101 looking directly at the Estrellas.

But we're both being anecdotal of course.

And besides for whatever reason OP is looking to Chandler/Gilbert. There are many advantages of this area for specific types of people and maybe that's what they want.

I agree, I've seen the brown cloud in that area too. No doubt it exists everywhere in the valley and varies throughout the day. The brown cloud seems to sink/hug the ground with the inversion and such so fortunately where we live in Estrella Mountain it is largely below us, at least what I can see. Guessing the same is true of other higher elevations around the valley.

Says most of the brown cloud isn't from things like agriculture dust but mostly from burning fossil fuels which I would guess is mostly from vehicle exhaust/perhaps some manufacturing as you mention that burn fossil fuels:

Brown Cloud - Phoenix Air Pollution Problems

"For the most part, the Brown Cloud consists of tiny particles of carbon and nitrogen dioxide gas. These substances are deposited into the air mostly from burning fossil fuels."

[Montanama]

Originally Posted by asufan

Ocotillo and Fulton Ranch are the best communities in Chandler IMO, so I would try searching in those communities or within 1-2 miles of that area (prices in ocotillo and Fulton Ranch probably exceed your budget).

I would not consider North Phoenix. The only thing N Phoenix has over Chandler is little brown dirthills that aren't even pretty IMO. Chandler beats N Phoenix in every other category including proximity to shopping and dining, high quality employment, school rankings, youth sports and its just prettier IMO with more grass, trees and water than North Phoenix. Coming here from So Cal myself I favor grass trees and water over little brown dirthills and desert Landscaping but opinions vary.

Isn't it funny how perceptions vary? I come from MT (somewhat obviously) and am used to pretty spectacular scenery. I find the "little brown dirthills", which to me are red-rock desert rock formations, to be very beautiful. Whenever we're in the east valley we comment on how flat it is and how much more we like the scenery in Phoenix proper, north, and west valley. Not a slam on Gilbert/Chandler at all--as asufan notes there is more greenery around there, but sometimes I do think those are the only two city names people have heard when moving to the valley. When we bought our place, we had never heard of Goodyear--for example. I know that is probably too far west for OP.

Any case, it's best to have a starting point, as the valley is geographically huge with MANY family-friendly choices in your price range. You really need to make a few visits to get a sense for what your tolerance is for the commute.

Knowing where your husband will work would help too. I don't know that commute times from the east valley would be appreciably shorter than many locations in the west valley if he's in downtown Pheonix (although, the 10 every day during rush hour would NOT be my choice), and you can certainly still get more house for your money in the west valley. But coming from San Diego, I think you won't believe what your money will buy.

And coming from San Diego, I would suggest you buy a house with a pool and a nice green back yard.